Local Environmental Affairs no where to be found

MBOMBELA – Have you been battling lately to find environmental affairs’ office, that deals with environmental-impact assessment (EIA) reports?

A Lowvelder exposé has revealed that it is actually non-existent at the moment.

According to economic development, the environmental-impact management office should be on the sixth floor of the Nedbank Centre in Brown Street.

Agriculture, rural development, land affairs and environment promptly replied that it couldn’t assist this publication.

After a call was made to the chief directorate environmental services, that is suppose to be in the Nedbank Centre, the only response Lowvelder received was that of a ghost voice saying, “The number that you have dialled does not exist”.

When attempting a visit to the offices, this paper was met with even more confusion.

The name or directions to the office of environmental services, or environmental affairs or even EIA were nowhere to be seen – not inside the building or on the outside – nowhere on any notice board.

On the sixth floor, where this department was supposed to be located, this newspaper was met by security officials and when they were asked where the environmental-impact management officials were, they shrugged their shoulders and complained that the floor had been without electricity for a long time.

This publication then contacted the EIA offices in the other two districts in Mpumalanga, Nkangala and Gert Sibande, which seemed to be operating as normal.

At the request as to the whereabouts of the Ehlanzeni district office, both complained about the difficulties they experienced when they had to get hold of the office in Mbombela.

The same frustration seemed to be experienced by environmental-assessment practitioners (EAP).

The security guard on the sixth floor said the EIA staff members seemed to be working from home.

The guard explained that practitioners would drop off their reports and then contact an official to come and collect it from the office in the Nedbank building.

An EAP, who does not want his name mentioned, described the frustration and that it had already started in 2009.

Environmental-assessment management (EAM) was then under agriculture, rural development, environment, tourism and land affairs and was then located in Jones Street.

The directorate was then moved to the Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (Dedet) at 50 Murray Street.

After disputes about rent from the landlord, the Office of the Sheriff confiscated some of the property and over a weekend the office was moved to 40 Murray Street.

It shared the office with transport and stayed there for one year only. In December 2013 the EAM moved to the sixth floor of the Nedbank Centre.

Another dispute arose with the owner of this building, Redefine, for rent and electricity of more than R1 million in arrears.

This happened in May, again in September and since the middle of October the electricity supply has still been off.

When Lowvelder contacted Redefine head office in Johannesburg, the paper was told that the government made use of a property agent Siya Embili Properties cc, under the name of Mr Richard Ntiwane.

They also supplied his contact details and email address.

When Ntiwane was contacted he refused to comment and only said the newspaper should speak to Mr Johan Wilken, the local Redefine manager.

Wilken also refused to comment and referred the paper to the Redefine head office.

Lowvelder contacted both government departments to obtain clarity and neither wanted to commented. Even the premier’s office declined any comment.

Yesterday, the newspaper finally received confirmation that the office of environmental-impact management is once again moving – back to Jones Street where it all started in 2009.